After the exciting, emotional rollercoaster that was Water 7/Enies Lobby, making an engrossing follow-up is not an easy task. That could be the reason people tend to overlook the Thriller Bark Saga. In fact, I personally love this saga… Well, the main arc at least. 

The massive ghost ship Thriller Bark brings a fresh visual style to the series with gothic mansions, moonlit graveyards, and an army of stitched-together monsters that'll make you laugh one minute and give you genuine chills the next. While it might not pack the same emotional punch as Enies Lobby, this saga delivers its own unforgettable moments. 

We’ll go through a short recap of the three arcs that make up the Thriller Bark saga. If you’d like a more detailed and complete recap of these arcs, we have individual articles for each one published on this site already for you to check out! So, let’s get into this new adventure with the Straw Hats!

Thriller Bark Arc | Summary & Recap

Ice Hunter Arc

After the tumultuous and emotional adventure of Enies Lobby, the Straw Hats are not free of trouble. They fall right into the Accino Family’s “Trap Kamome” soon after setting sail in their new ship, the Thousand Sunny. These bounty hunters used holograms to fake a whole Marine fleet, also using trained armies of penguins to move icebergs and more, herding the crew into the frozen wasteland of Hyokaido. 

The Accinos' most unforgivable act was stealing the Straw Hats' pirate flag. This flag theft drove Luffy into a rage, as he considered it an attack on their very identity as pirates, thus, much of the arc revolves around the need to get this flag back. The Straw Hats also crossed paths with the Phoenix Pirates, a once-ambitious crew crushed by defeat in the New World. Their captain, Puzzle, had surrendered their flag to the Accinos out of shame, though cabin boy Jiro still called him out for this gutless move.

As hell broke loose across the ice, the Straw Hats faced the members of the Accino Family and their unique powers, with Luffy going for Don Accino himself. The Don used the power of the Atsu Atsu no Mi, allowing him to reach scorching temperatures, capable of melting the very icy battlefield beneath them.

Luffy managed to defeat the Don and reclaim the Straw Hats' skull and crossbones. Captain Puzzle also rediscovered his fighting spirit, taking down Campacino and reclaiming the Phoenix Pirates' pride. Both crews departed the crumbling ice fortress, with their pirate flags proudly waving in their ships. 

Thriller Bark Arc

With their flag back and their ship sailing smoothly, the Straw Hats entered the infamous Florian Triangle, a foggy sea region where ships mysteriously disappear. Things took a supernatural turn when they met "Dead Bones" Brook, a skeleton musician brought back to life by the Yomi Yomi no Mi (Revive-Revive Fruit), but his body had decayed to bones before his soul could return due to the fog being so thick.

Brook ran away when he saw Thriller Bark – the biggest ship in the world disguised as a floating gothic island. The crew explored this nightmarish kingdom and found zombies and other creatures of the night. Nami, Usopp and Chopper were attacked by an invisible monster, while Luffy, Zoro and Sanji vanished.

Behind these horrors was Gecko Moria, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, who controlled zombies by stealing their shadows. His minions were Dr. Hogback, a genius but insane doctor; Perona, the ghost princess who sucked the will to live out of people; and Absalom, the invisible beast. People whose shadows were stolen would disintegrate in sunlight and be trapped in the foggy sea forever.

Things got worse when Moria stole Luffy's shadow and put it in Oars, a giant zombie. Oars rampaged through Thriller Bark with Luffy's powers but none of his (minimal) restraint. Moria himself entered Oars' body and combined their powers to become an unstoppable force.

In an unprecedented display of teamwork, the Straw Hats coordinated their attacks against the giant. Using Brook's revelation that salt could purify zombies, and with Luffy temporarily powered by one hundred absorbed shadows as "Nightmare Luffy," they defeated Oars. After that, they were barely able to defeat the even more terrifying final form of Moria just as dawn approached, releasing all stolen shadows in the nick of time.

The celebration was cut short by Bartholomew Kuma's arrival, another Warlord who was tasked to eliminate all the witnesses of Moria's defeat. The crew was exhausted but they were ready to fight again but Zoro proposed a desperate plan – to take all of Luffy's pain and fatigue into his own body in exchange for Kuma sparing the crew. In one of the series most powerful moments, Zoro endured unimaginable pain and his loyalty was tested to the limit and almost cost him his life.

The arc ends with Brook keeping his promise to Laboon, his former crew's whale companion. Since the Straw Hats already met Laboon at Reverse Mountain, Brook agreed to join Luffy and we witness some of the most emotional moments to date in the series. 

Spa Island Arc

After escaping Thriller Bark, the Straw Hats arrived at Spa Island, a floating resort with extravagant amenities including candy-raining clouds and cola baths. While the crew relaxed, Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp met sisters Lina and Sayo, who possessed a mysterious notebook and traveled with Nukky, a shape-shifting sea raccoon. Their vacation was disrupted when Foxy the Silver Fox (yay…) returned, still bitter about his previous defeat. Using a mirror-covered mecha to reflect his Noro Noro (Slow-Slow) Beam, Foxy tried stealing the notebook. He was easily defeated by Franky and Brook.

Sayo explained the notebook contained their father's research on creating a "genuine gem." Their father had supposedly died during an expedition, sending Nukky back with the notebook and a farewell letter. Sayo wanted to complete her father's work despite Lina's reluctance.

Doran, the spa manager, turned out to be the true villain mastermind here, the Spa Island manager, who captured Sayo and demanded the notebook as ransom. Under pressure, Sayo admitted their father was actually alive but is hiding from the Foxy Pirates while trying to finish the rainbow gem as a gift for Lina.

Luffy resolved the situation by using Gear 3 to split the entire island in half, quite literally, with a Gomu Gomu no Giganto Axe. The destruction revealed an X-shaped crack on the ocean floor leading to an underwater volcano – the final ingredient needed for the rainbow gem.

As Doran fled with the Foxy Pirates in pursuit, the Straw Hats continued their journey. Later, they received a letter from the sisters via Nukky, revealing they had successfully created the Rainbow Gem and reunited with their father. The sisters sent a piece of the gem to the crew, which caused candy to rain from the sky. The arc ended with Nami ordering everyone to search for the gem after Luffy nearly lost it during his excited candy-eating frenzy.

Saga Wrap Up

Well, that was an interesting ride, taking the Straw Hats from frozen tundra, all the way to a haunted mansion filled with zombies, and even to some “relaxing” spa vacations. After the emotional gut-punch that was the entire Water 7/Enies Lobby saga, this time the crew got thrown into completely new territories while sailing their new ship. Talk about a rite of passage!

First up, the Ice Hunter arc threw them into a frozen wasteland where the Accino Family had the AUDACITY to steal the Straw Hats' pirate flag! Luffy went ballistic, taking down heat-powered Don Accino while inspiring the defeated Phoenix Pirates to reclaim their own pride and flag.

Then came the foggy Florian Triangle where they met Brook - an actual talking skeleton musician with an afro! His soul returned to a body that had decayed to bones, and he fled at the sight of Thriller Bark, a massive ghost ship disguised as an island.

The mastermind behind this nightmare was Gecko Moria, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. He was stealing shadows to power zombies with help from Dr. Hogback's experiments, Perona's negativity ghosts, and invisible creep Absalom. When Moria stuffed Luffy's shadow into giant zombie Oars, the real trouble began. The Straw Hats needed perfect teamwork plus "Nightmare Luffy" (powered by 100 absorbed shadows) to defeat Oars, the massive ancient giant also known as “The Continent Puller”, and Mori. Their win happened as dawn approached, saving everyone's shadows in the nick of time.

But then Bartholomew Kuma showed up to eliminate all witnesses to Moria's defeat. With everyone exhausted, Zoro made that incredible sacrifice - taking ALL of Luffy's pain into his own body, nearly dying to save the crew. In one of the most epic demonstrations of loyalty ever portrayed. In the end, Brook joined the crew, keeping his promise to return to Laboon (the whale at Reverse Mountain) after learning the Straw Hats had already met him. With a skeleton musician/swordsman on board, adding that DON to the journey. 

The saga wrapped with a quick stop at Spa Island where they helped sisters Lina and Sayo create their father's "rainbow gem" while dealing with a revenge-seeking Foxy. Luffy solved things by literally splitting the island in half with Gear 3.

Thriller Bark Saga | Review

Animation and Visuals | 8/10

First of all, I just have to give the Thriller Bark Saga major props for its bold visual direction! The animation and art completely nailed the horror/comedy vibe they were clearly looking for. Complete with the crumbling gothic buildings, the zombie aesthetic, the cemeteries and ghosts, and all kinds of monsters present there, with the purple and green tones to accompany it all. 

I’m personally a big Perona fan, and all her ghost trickery is incredible. Not to mention the entire introduction of Brook as a character with his unique quirks and emotional backstory behind it all was fantastic. We also got to enjoy the new massive threats as we approach the New 
World. Oars was especially impressive - this massive zombie giant with Luffy's stretchy movements was animated with incredible scale and weight.

Even though The Ice Hunter and Spa Island fillers didn't quite reach the same visual heights,  they offered nice contrast with shimmering ice effects and Spa Island's vibrant colors. Despite some pacing issues with the fillers slowing things down, Thriller Bark proved One Piece could successfully venture into different genres visually while maintaining its unique charm. For the creative atmosphere alone, this saga deserves an 8/10 on the visual front!

Character Development | 7.5/10

Even though the Thriller Bark Saga offers a good deal of meaningful character moments, it does fall short when compared to its predecessor saga. Especially keeping in mind that the two filler arcs (Ice Hunter and Spa Island) significantly drag down the score, contributing absolutely zero character development to the crew, and even the development of the filler characters fell short.

Brook’s story involves a rollercoaster of emotion on its own, especially since it marks the first of the creepy moment to come in the saga. Yet it still changes quick enough with how Luffy absolutely loves Brook from the get go. 

Brook’s fifty-year promise to Laboon, the Rumbar Pirates' heartbreaking final performance, and that tear-jerking “Binks' Sake” reveal all make for a powerful new crew member backstory. Zoro's jaw-dropping sacrifice taking Luffy's pain from Kuma stands as one of the series' most defining loyalty moments, showing the depths of his devotion without needing a single word. Of course, we also see some heavy levels of unexpected friendship and loyalty between Zoro and Sanji which I often see overlooked by the community here, with both of them offering to take the pain. 

As a fun side note, with what we now know about Sanji, there’s a really high chance that he could’ve taken the damage a lot better than Zoro. 

The rest of the crew sees more modest growth. Usopp's struggle with Perona's negativity ghosts reflects his ongoing battle with self-confidence. Sanji's principles shine when refusing to attack Absalom while he holds Nami. Robin shows her growing comfort actually joining in crew celebrations instead of staying distant, EVEN THOUGH SHE DID NOT DOCK, keeping us from the awesomeness of the Straw Hat Megazord forever…

At first glance, Luffy doesn't seem to go through significant change here, but his immediate acceptance of Brook reinforces his non-judgmental attitude. His struggles against Oars and Moria are proof of his selflessness when it comes to helping his friends. Luffy’s instincts are top of the class and they are on display with Brook, as they were with Laboon back then. 

Lacking the individual investment of Water 7/Enies Lobby and weighed down by filler, Thriller Bark is a bridge rather than a game-changing saga, its best contribution to the Straw Hats' journey being the recruitment of Brook.

Sound and Music | 10/10

Thriller Bark's audio design is haunting perfection. Creaking doorways, ghostly wails, and zombie groans create a genuine horror atmosphere that sticks with you. Every environment feels alive through sound.

“Binks' Sake” debuts here - first as Brook's lonely violin, then as the heartbreaking Rumbar Pirates' farewell. It's an instant classic that defines the arc. The soundtrack knows when to unsettle with carnival-gone-wrong tunes and when to amp up for Moria and Oars battles.

Combat sounds pack a punch. Zoro's swords slice with precision. Shadows warp with unsettling distortion. Luffy's attacks land with satisfying impact. But nothing tops the emotional gut-punch of Brook's backstory - where music isn't just soundtrack but the story itself. Thriller Bark creates a masterclass in atmosphere through sound that perfectly complements its unique setting.

Reception and Impact | 7.5/10

The Thriller Bark Saga sits in a unique position among the One Piece fandom, more often than not discussed through its main, primary arc, while the couple small filler arcs are forgotten. 

Thriller Bark itself stands as a bold departure that divided viewers upon release. Its horror-comedy fusion and standalone island adventure came after the emotional heights of Water 7, creating inevitable comparison challenges. However, time has been remarkably kind to this distinctive arc, with many fans retroactively appreciating its atmospheric uniqueness and tonal experimentation.

What initially seemed like mere monster-of-the-week entertainment has revealed itself as crucial world-building. Brook's introduction expanded the crew perfectly, while the Kuma confrontation and Zoro's sacrifice moment rank among the series' most revered scenes. The Shichibukai lore established here ripples throughout future arcs, proving Thriller Bark was more foundational than initially recognized.

Critics praise its visual identity, the gothic horror aesthetics remain unmatched in the series, and Oda's masterful ability to blend genuine horror with his trademark humor. The “Bink's Sake” sequence particularly stands as one of anime's most emotionally resonant musical moments, frequently cited in "best of" lists.

While not reaching the comprehensive narrative heights of Water 7 or later sagas, Thriller Bark excels as a perfectly executed haunted house adventure with surprising emotional depth. Its influence extends beyond One Piece, inspiring horror elements in numerous shonen works that followed. What seemed at first a quirky detour has matured into a fan-favorite that showcases Oda's range and willingness to experiment with genre within his epic tale.

Overall Score | 8/10

Man, Thriller Bark was such a wild ride! It wasn't quite the emotional rollercoaster that Water 7 put us through (still crying over Merry, not gonna lie), but this spooky saga definitely deserves a solid 8/10 for taking One Piece into completely new territory (and now I’m crying over Laboon too).

The visuals absolutely killed it with that creepy-yet-goofy horror movie vibe! Those foggy graveyards and that massive haunted mansion ship had me feeling like I was watching The Addams Family meets pirates. And, come on, Nightmare Luffy smashing Oars was pure hype, while that shot of Zoro just standing there covered in blood after taking Luffy's pain? Chills, every single time.

Those filler arcs at the beginning and end were definitely momentum killers. The Ice Hunter and Spa Island stuff wasn't terrible or anything, but sandwiching the main story between them definitely knocked some points off. It's like getting awesome Halloween candy but having to unwrap two layers of boring packaging first.

Still, Brook's backstory had me crying with that "Binks' Sake" performance and his promise to Laboon. Perfect addition to our already special crew of beloved outcasts.

Bottom line - Thriller Bark might not be the perfect saga that Water 7 was, but it's got unique charm, some genuine emotional gut-punches, and it introduced us to our favorite musical skeleton. And just like that, we’re off to the next saga, and fasten your seatbelts, ‘cause what’s coming up next is one of the most, if not THE most, intense saga in the series, and a personal favorite.